


Visions of the Past

by cloudnymphs



Series: Let them Dance - Jaco and Granolah ficlets [2]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Attempted Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flashbacks, Granolah isn't a bad person he's just hurting, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, he's able to address some of his trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:01:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29567187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloudnymphs/pseuds/cloudnymphs
Summary: Granolah’s trauma sometimes manifests itself in harmful ways rendering him helpless and afraid. Not having opened up, Granolah carries his burdens alone, that is until he finds someone who is willing to help.
Relationships: Granolah/Jaco Teirimentenpibosshi, Jaco Teirimentenpibosshi/Granola
Series: Let them Dance - Jaco and Granolah ficlets [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2169948





	Visions of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place in one of my many AUs where they get together by Jaco being sent after him and they just become a couple. Anyway--I love Jaco and as wild as he is, i think he’s a great help and a great listener. 
> 
> Also the chapter came out today--for those of you who aren’t aware, Monaito is the Namkeian that Granolah lives with.

There were those days Granolah believed the nightmares were over. 

That, for as many years had passed, he had hardened his heart and learned not to let even the smallest memory of his people bring him to his knees. That was after all, one of the reasons he decided to say on his planet. Not just as a reminder, but as a way to cope and go on. Yet, with the revelation of Frieza’s rebirth , and revenge slowly consuming his core, those old wounds he believed would heal slowly tore back open leaving him completely helpless.

It was something silly this time--a wrong turn causing a vase to fall over; its glass shattering on the floor beneath him. Normally, Granolah would have cleaned it up within ten minutes but something was different. It wasn’t just the stinging sound of glass that rendered him speechless. He froze--like a force was holding him back, constricting him and making it hard for him to breathe.

Suddenly, it wasn’t just a vase that broke. In mere seconds it became  _ so much more.  _

He heard--no  _ saw-- _ windows breaking, houses melting into rubble, children screaming….someone...no his mother (or was it his brother, or sister--who--he didn’t know!) clutching on to him yet losing the strength to hold on.

Were they dying? Was he dying?

He  _ had  _ to be, he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t even remember where he was or who he was. He was just that terrified little boy again and everything around him was consumed with fire, screaming...death. Granolah, wherever he was couldn’t move. His past was being relived in this moment before him, and for the life of him, Granolah could not run away this time. So he screamed--just as he did that day.

Screamed to the top of his lungs and fell to his knees. 

He felt so alone and helpless, like he was shouting into a void. 

From downstairs Monaito and Jaco were preoccupied by the television. 

It had been a couple of months now, since Jaco had come here, on his mission (that went awry). Despite the predicament it caused and all his friends more than likely thinking him dead, he had warmed up to life here. Granolah was an enigma but they had gotten “close”, and often times found themselves playing a strange ‘hide and seek’. In short, there were certainly feelings there--none knew how to address. On the other hand, Jaco had completely warmed up to Monaito and viewed him as the father figure he had never had. Jaco had a thing for Namekians and Monaito was no different. He was kind and made Jaco feel welcomed despite his current situation.

At that moment however, both were caught off guard when they heard first the vase crash to the ground and then a loud, agony filled scream followed. Jaco was quick to stand up, knowing that something was wrong.

“Granolah--”

“He does this sometimes--flashbacks, PTSD...the poor boy doesn’t get any help and won’t listen. So he deals with it himself. He’ll be like this for a few minutes or hours--”

“I’m going to go and try to help him.” Jaco was about to take off, yet a hand on his shoulder from Monaito stopped him. 

“Careful Jaco.” 

He heeded that small warning before taking off, running upstairs and into Granolah’s room. The green haired man was on his knees, hunched over with a hand on his chest. He was panting, as if he was gasping for air; his eyes were wide in terror and beads of sweat poured down his face. Jaco slowly entered the room, stepping over the broken vase as he walked toward Granolah. 

In hindsight he should have been smarter; approaching him at this moment wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but he only wanted to help him. He only gently touched his shoulder, and Granolah’s whole demeanor changed. He took hold of Jaco’s wrist, tightly before he even made contact with his shoulder. Jaco quickly saw how this was going, as it was clear Granolah wasn’t really there. His eyes were different, blank and void. 

“Granolah--” Jaco began, not too concerned with his arm. His species could break bones (anywhere) and twist them within their skin and out of their sockets at any time, with little to no pain. This helped with escape. Jaco was more worried about Granolah, and the current vision or flashbacks he was having. He was eventually able to tear his hand out of Granolah’s grasp and took a step back. 

“Granolah--are you okay?” Jaco knew what was happening, he’d seen people go through this with the Galactic Patrol after they’d lost those close to them.

Yet when Granolah did not respond, Jaco reached out again. This time he walked toward him, slowly. His arm extended as he was able to gently place a hand on his shoulder. Granolah didn’t seem to react or even notice Jaco’s presence. So Jaco went further and slowly placed a hand on his cheek, slowly wiping the tears away before lifting his head so they were facing each other.

Granolah seemed to come back then, his gasping becoming more erratic though, as he gazed helplessly up at Jaco. 

“Where...where am I?” He asked, quietly. 

“Here. You’re here with Monaito and me…” Jaco sighed in relief. “We heard you downstairs and I was worried--Granolah, calm down, it’s okay.”

“But the windows...the windows were breaking and people were screaming--” 

“The vase.” Jaco motioned toward the shattered glass, and let out a soft smile. “It broke, that’s all.”

“But I heard the screams. I saw everyone..d..dying.” 

Jaco continued to hold Granolah’s face in his hands for a few more moments until he decided to take another step, going further and pulling him into a hug. “You’re going through a flashback...trauma….breath Granolah, it’s okay. Just breathe.” 

Obviously distressed, Granolah nodded and eventually took deep breaths to steady himself--Jaco smiled and continued to quietly coax him.

As Granolah continued to breathe kneeling down, he was still just a bit taller than Jaco. Regardless , Jaco was easily able to maneuver him so that he could embrace him. His head burrowed into Granolah’s chest and he wrapped his arms tightly around him. Granolah gasped a bit, his breathing becoming more and more stable until he finally wrapped his arms around Jaco, pulling tighter and engulfing him completely. 

On one hand, Granolah loved Jaco’s presence, but on the other hand, this was more of a grounding technique--Jaco knew that as well. Granolah had to hold on to something--he had to grab something that made him feel present. Something that let him know he was here now, and not there--fifty years ago when his family was killed before him. He needed something that made him feel safe, protected, and sheltered--that something, or someone was Jaco. He held him like that for a while--his chin eventually resting on the top of Jaco’s head as they both pulled Granolah out of his flashback--together. 

They remained like that for some time however, not moving and Granolah not letting Jaco go. It was only when Jaco broke from the embrace, gasping for air did Granolah finally reflect on everything, and let out a sigh of relief.

“Feeling better?” Jaco asked.

“Yes…” Granolah exhaled, his eyes still hazy. “I don’t know what happened.”

“Monaito says you have PTSD...but you don’t get help for it.” Jaco sat down on the floor, and directed Granolah to do the same. “Granolah, that’s gonna eat you up inside. You need to get help.” 

He leaned forward, and took hold of Granolah’s shaking hands. “Or, if you aren’t comfortable now...you can always talk to me, and I’ll listen, but promise you’ll get help one day...okay. You can’t keep this inside.” 

Granolah nodded, still shaking but feeling a bit better. 

There was silence that passed by until Granolah cleared his throat and attempted to speak. “Can I...can I talk to you about some things now?”

“Of course!” Jaco’s eyes couldn’t get wide, but Granolah was sure they did. 

“I um...I was seeing my mother. She died by holding me. She grabbed me from behind to protect me from flying glass--and died like that. Sometimes I still feel her around me, but...when you’re here, I feel her but I don’t. But I think that’s...a good thing.” He sighed, squeezing Jaco’s hands. “But sometimes, I also see my siblings dying. My brother had a daughter and I still don’t know if she..if she died. I want to find her but can’t...Maybe she didn’t die. Or maybe that’s me being hopeful.”

“No, that’s good to think like that. When I’m down I always think of something positive.” Jaco titled his head. “Maybe you--maybe  _ we,  _ could go looking for her one day.”

Granolah nodded. “I’d love that.” His heart warmed at the thought of a family member being alive. 

Jaco smiled. “Is there anything else? If not-- We should go downstairs and get a broom. I’ll clean it up, don’t worry...you can stay downstairs and watch some TV, take a break. Or--you could also splash water on your face, you near-human species turn red when you cry and I’ve never understood why, but I’m sure it hurts. How do you all do that--”

As Jaco got up, Granolah was quick to follow him. 

He wasn’t sure what had come over him, and evidently neither was Jaco. He reached forward and took Jaco by the arm, his heart warmed and his face turned red from more than crying. He knew it was silly, initiating a relationship with Jaco at this moment but--he didn’t know when else too. No one had  _ ever  _ held Granolah when he was in his moods--no one had listened to him and embraced him until he stopped crying--Granolah felt that if he didn’t do this now, he’d lose his chance. 

So he turned Jaco around rather easily, and hunched over, leaning in for a kiss. Jaco was quick though, putting his hand up as a shield before him and grabbing Granolah’s face. 

Granolah wanted to scream. 

“Don’t get me wrong. I like you, I  _ really  _ do like you and if this was any other day I would’ve let you kiss me but...you need time to yourself okay. You need to heal just a bit, okay? And then maybe we can talk about a relationship.” Jaco smiled, released him and made way downstairs. Granolah stood there, his heart already lighter as a feeling of hope--for the whole situation, drifted upon him. Finally he found someone to address his pain with, and perhaps, things would slowly start to change for the better. 

“Jaco!” He caught him right before he left the threshold.

“Hm?” Jaco spun around. 

“Thank you...you’re a good person.”

Jaco grinned, and left, leaving Granolah with a smile on his face. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! If you liked it ! kudos and comments appreciated :D


End file.
